Back cushions on a sofa, or chair, lose their shape and support overtime. It’s a common problem especially on older furniture. The loose fill inserts compress, shift and get lumpy causing the covers to sag.  Sound familiar?

Fortunately, there is a quick, inexpensive fix. Here’s how I refresh back cushions to make them look and function new again:

Step 1:  Remove insert from cushion. Rip out seam at one end. When you open the insert you will see one or two baffles. A baffle is a divider that creates compartments for the loose fill. There is no foam piece in this type of back cushion.

Step 2:  Using polyester cluster fiber fill, stuff each compartment (on both sides of the baffle). The amount of fill will depend on the cushion size, level of compression and desired firmness. Example: for the 3 back cushions shown in the photo above I used a total of 4.5 pounds, which created fairly firm cushions.

The poly cluster fill mixes well with other types of poly fill and feathers. It’s light and springy. I like it much better than poly batting.

You don’t have to remove the old fill.  Just add the new fill to the hollow areas. Make sure to stuff the fill into corners — that’s where most of the compression occurs.

Step 3:  Close insert by hand stitching along original seam line. Now it’s ready to slip it into the cover.

TIP: The insert shell is cut larger than your cushion cover on purpose. Don’t pack in the fill too tight. When you’ve added your desired amount of fill the insert should feel fluffy, slightly dense and pliable.  If your insert won’t fit back into your cushion cover you’ve over stuffed it and will need to remove the excess.